Chapter 45
The battle with the Blooming Water Python produced a ruckus that could be said to be not very quiet. Several dozen Star Cultivators were already rus.h.i.+ng towards here, so Su Xing stored the Blooming Water Python's carca.s.s inside his bag, immediately departing rapidly from this place.
As Su Xing expected, he had not left for long when a group of cultivators adorned in white and blue robes rushed to the location. They happened to be Chen Zhonglin and the rest of the Blooming Water Sword Sect disciples that he met at the restaurant.
"Senior Brother, this is a Blooming Water Python!"
One of the sword sect disciples carried one of the python's scales1 and walked before Chen Zhonglin.
The other disciples' complexions changed one after another. As disciples of the Blooming Water Sword Sect, their understanding of the Flower Dragon Cave and the Blooming Water Divine Thunder far outmatched the rest of the scattered Star Cultivators; they were fully aware that the Flower Dragon Cave's true boss was that Blooming Water Python. The Blooming Water Python's Thunder Water Flower Snake Flower Crown was an item they were required to obtain. This sort of Demonic Beast's snake crown was not only rare, but it also held the most promise in refining a pure Blooming Water Divine Thunder. Now, the Blooming Water Python being killed was completely outside of their expectations.
For a Nebula Stage Cultivator to slay this sort of proud Demonic Beast without a surefire plan like they had, the cultivator would easily have then been swallowed whole by the incognito python.
"Senior Brother Zhonling, could it be said that the Heavenly River Sword School did this?"
The rest of the disciples deeply believed it to be so. The Heavenly River Sword School was the Blooming Water Sword Sect's mortal enemy. Several of the Heavenly River disciples that entered the Flower Dragon Cave this time around were Nebula Late Stage, and using their Heavenly Water Sword Secret Arts within the Flower Dragon Cave could be considered putting a fish back into water, very easy and natural.
"Whoever he is, he couldn't have gotten very far in such a short amount of time. Immediately give chase, for we must s.n.a.t.c.h back that Python." Chen Zhonglin's expression went cold, when suddenly, he saw several Star Cultivators rus.h.i.+ng over who had heard the commotion.
"Ah, it's the Blooming Water Sword Sect!"
The Star Cultivators were scared stiff upon seeing the Blooming Water Sword Sect.
"You're courting death!!"
Chen Zhonglin raised a hand seal, the water within the rocky cave abruptly soared upwards, becoming a watery sword that penetrated through two Star Cultivators that had not the slightest guard raised against it. The last Star Cultivator remaining was shocked and hastily used his Water Escape Talisman.
With a bang, the water's surface rose, and he immediately left the Flower Dragon Cave.
"Tut, he ran." Chen Zhonglin spat, and walked with great strides before the dying Star Cultivators.
"Spare me…"
"Pay the price for your greed!"
Chen Zhonglin disdained them.
The tranquil river waters turned into numerous sharp swords that suddenly pierced them and turned them into honeycomb.
The number of Blooming Water Sword Sect disciples did not change their expressions, praising: "Ever since you contracted with a Star General, Senior Student Zhonglin's 'Water Turned to Sword Art' has become stronger and stronger, the number one of our school!"
"Stop with the rubbish." Chen Zhonglin thoroughly enjoyed this sort of praise. Smiling, he said: "Quickly find that dead python's Star Cultivator. You definitely cannot let him escape."
"By your will!"
___
Oblivious to the fact that he killed the Blooming Water Sword Sect's most important Blooming Water Python, Su Xing
In this more than two hundred square meter pool, there were the collapsed corpses of more than ten cultivators scattered chaotically about. Su Xing checked and saw there were both male and female corpses, both elderly and young. Judging from the positions of their death as well as their facial expressions, these people did not go down swinging at each other.2 On the contrary, these scattered Star Cultivators should have had deep knowledge of the Flower Dragon Cave's dangers that they would form a single, large group.
But their deaths came extremely abruptly, for several of the Star Cultivators still maintained defensive stances, eyes opened wide.
These Star Cultivators were even at the Nebula Stage, but in the blink of an eye, they were done in without retaliating in the slightest. Su Xing thought this was completely inconceivable. Could it be that the Flower Dragon Cave still held some terrifying Demon Beast?
The Astral Bags and other items on these Star Cultivators had already been taken away, so clearly it was not a Demon Beast.
Examining their wounds, a dense b.l.o.o.d.y hole ran through their craniums, but their shoulders had fatal wounds, so clearly it came from directly above? Su Xing took extreme caution, keeping alert of the rocky cave's ceiling. Suddenly, the sound of weak breathing drew Su Xing's attention. Following this sound, Su Xing found a woman hiding beneath a corpse.
She looked to be around twenty years old, her hair disheveled, her face pale, and upon her shoulders flowed the same b.l.o.o.d.y holes
"I'm begging you, please don't kill me…" The girl shouted, terrified.
"I'm not going to kill you!" Su Xing said softly. He retrieved a "Return of Spring Foxglove Pill"3 from his person. For a short time, it could staunch bleeding and numb pain, and it was An Suwen who specially refined it for him.4
After swallowing the Return of Spring Pill, the girl's trembling body slowly calmed.
"What happened here?" Su Xing helped her up.
"It was the 'Blood Rain Pot!'"5
"Blood Rain Pot?" Su Xing raised his eyebrows.
From the girl's stammering, Su Xing was finally able to understand the whole sequence of events leading to this horrific scene. As Su Xing had thought, the scattered Star Cultivators indeed knew deeply the dangers of Flower Dragon Cave, and the dozens of people just joined one after another into a huge group to prepare a common front. After the Flower Dragon Cave was fished up, since they all had Nebula Early Stage cultivation, they did not need to be afraid even in the case they ran into a Nebula Late Stage cultivator.
Their plan was indeed correct. When they entered the lake, among the Star Cultivators they got rid of very easily was a Nebula Late Stage Star Cultivator, but then they discovered two "Thunder Water Flowers." As they had habitually done, several people stood guard and others went to pluck it when at this time, they encountered a cultivator from the Heavenly River Sword School. The opposition unexpectedly brought out the Galaxy Stage Artifact,6 Blood Rain Pot. Although it was only an early stage artifact, it rapidly dispatched these Nebula Early Stage cultivators with much to spare. The girl lived only because she had a protective talisman that saved her life.
"Unexpectedly, it's a Galaxy Stage Artifact?" Su Xing's tone was grave.
At every level of Star Energy, Star Cultivators will use different artifacts, and every artifact's stage was also divided into Basic Grade, Intermediate Grade, High Grade and Supreme Grade7 just like how Star Energy was also divided into separate ranks. Whenever a Star Cultivator's cultivation reached the Late Stage, they were already able to use the next stage's Basic Grade Artifacts.
Regarding fighting a Star Cultivator in the same realm, using a next stage artifact in a battle can give an enormous advantage in battle strength to its user, thus it was not difficult to explain the lack of retaliation on the part of these Nebula Late Stage Cultivators.
Su Xing looked at the girl. Taking out a Water Escape Talisman, he gave it to her, "Take care of yourself!"
"Thank you…" The girl was moved to tears. Most probably, she herself had not expected to run into a decent person.
Because of a soldier's natural instincts, Su Xing without a doubt disdained killing someone this way. However, he had no way of knowing that this inadvertent rescue, someday, would bring up the famous "Water Illusion Fairy." Of course, that is a story for another time;8
Activating the Water Escape Technique, the girl's figure immediately submerged into the water and disappeared from sight.
"A Galaxy Stage Artifact. So there's even something like this, that I had to give it my all." Su Xing thought aloud. Of the people from the Heavenly River Sword School she spoke of, Su Xing immediately thought of that Cultivator Wu he encountered at the restaurant. Connecting the dots with their grudge, there was a good chance that the Heavenly River Sword School wanted to seize the opportunity at Flower Dragon Cave to kill the Blooming Water Sword Sect's Star Master.
Thinking about it, Su Xing had nothing to do with this. It was better to discuss how to put down these two exceptional water style sword schools.
Just as he thought that, the sudden sound of water breaking erupted.
Su Xing soared with a jump onto a piece of rock. As it turned out, he had just avoided several water swords.
"Ha, ha, ha, ha, I didn't expect to see a hero save the beauty. I never thought this Flower Dragon Cave would still have such an upright Star Cultivator!"
The sound of rough, but full-hearted laughing suddenly resounded.
The figures of tens of Star Cultivators wearing flax colored long gowns encircled Su Xing from his surroundings.
"Originally, I wanted to find that rat from the Blooming Water Sword Sect, but I didn't think I'd find such a wonderful play! Hero, are you ready to beat it?"
Su Xing quietly cursed his luck. What he really did not want to come had come anyways.
The people who approached were, in fact, Heavenly River Sword School's Star Cultivators.
Author’s Note: A plea for your votes…